Comfort
by livingat-camphalfblood
Summary: Percy Jackson is still missing. Annabeth is slowly falling apart without him. Only one person dares to comfort her, and he doesn't even wear pants.


**I've been gone for so long, and it feels great to finally be back on again. I just want to say now that my writing had changed a lot since I posted anything on here. A lot. Anyways, I hope you all still enjoy it. This story takes place right after The Lost Hero. Hope you enjoy and tell me what you think about it! Thanks!**

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Grover trotted up to the Athena cabin and knocked quietly. It was still pretty early in the morning, but he needed to talk with Annabeth. After a moment, Malcolm, the second in command, opened the door.

Grover trotted back and forth nervously. "Hi, Malcolm. Sorry to bother you guys so early. Is Annabeth there? I need to talk to her."

Malcolm looked past Grover, as if checking to see if anybody was around, which nobody was. "She isn't," he said quietly. "I haven't seen her since last night after dinner."

"Where is she? Did you tell Chiron? She-"

"Calm down, Grover. I know _where_ she is. She's at Percy's cabin. She's been sleeping there ever since he-since he disappeared. She's probably over there right now."

"Thanks."

"No problem. And when you see her, tell her that cabin misses her."

"Okay."

Grover turned and walked off as Malcolm closed the door softly. He quickly made his way over to the Poseidon cabin. He knocked quietly on the cabin door, and opened it. Inside, the cabin looked just like it had when he had searched it when they found out he wasn't here. Percy's dirty clothes lay in random places around the cabin, along with prices of battle armour and candy wrappers. Percy never was one for keeping his cabin clean. All the bunks stood undisturbed and made. All except one. For a second, Grover's heart leaped. Percy's bunk was occupied.

Then, he saw the blonde hair. Annabeth lay on her side across Percy's bed. She had shorts on, with her weapons belt still attached, though her knife lay on a nightstand. She had taken off her shoes and left them on the floor. Her hair was spread across the bare sheets. She had Percy's favourite blue pullover on.

Grover reached out for her arm and shook her lightly. She woke up immediately. Her gray eyes snapped open and she sat up. She focused on Grover and her eyes asked a question. She opened her mouth to say something, but then decided against it. She knew that he hadn't brought any news.

Grover watched as her eyes started to glisten. Before Grover could say anything, Annabeth crawled out of the bed and hugged him. It was so weird. Annabeth never hugged anybody, except Percy. And she had always kept it together, being able to hold back tears in the toughest of situations. If Annabeth was crying, then Grover was crying, too. He did try his best to comfort her with a hug, rubbing her back softly. Her body felt small and delicate in his arms. She shivered and tried to keep her breaths even as she sobbed onto Grover's shoulder.

Grover pulled back and Annabeth rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "Stop that, Annabeth. You're strong. You know that."

She sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. "Percy made me strong."

Grover bent down and grabbed her forearms. "That's not true. Percy didn't make you strong when you used to wake up covered in spiders every morning when you were younger. Percy didn't make you strong when you ran away. Percy didn't make you strong when you almost attacked Thalia and Luke. Percy didn't make you strong when you stabbed that Cyclops in the foot and saved us all. Percy didn't make you strong when you had to leave Thalia at Half-Blood Hill that night. You have always been strong, Annabeth."

"But, Percy is-he's gone." Her voice quivered. "I have to find him. I can't keep going on like this. I need him."

"Is he dead?"

Annabeth stared up at him and looked like she wanted to gut him with her knife. He saw her arm jerk in the direction of the knife. "Of course not. Why would you even-"

"You are so sure he's alive. So why would you doubt that you won't find him? Percy left camp without permission to follow us when you were taken by the manticore. He traveled across the county, risked his life a million times, got shot even, just to rescue you. Before he had even admit his feelings for you. He never thought once that you were dead. He just knew that he would get you back and he would do anything to do it. And you will do the same. You just have to get a grip and relax. You will find him. Until then, you always have me to talk to. I miss him as much as you do. He's saved my life plenty of times. He believed in me. He's my best friend."

"I just want to know where he is. Does he remember us? Jason had no memories of his past life at all and we don't know if he will get them back. Does Percy have his memories? Is he trying to get back to us? Is he really at the Roman camp? What are they doing to him? Did they except him or leave out there for the monsters?"

"I don't know."

"You can't hear anything from him? Not even with your empathy link?"

"No. I know he's alive, but I just can't pick anything else up. Its like what happened to me before the war. I was in deep sleep. Percy knew I was still here, it was just hard to communicate with me. Its like that, only stronger."

"I don't like any of this. Something is going on. And I need to know what. If this is Hera's way of getting back at me-"

"Its more than that. Hera wouldn't try to get the camps to combine to get revenge on you for telling her off. This is big, bigger than the Second Titan War."

"You think its about the new Great Prophecy."

"Yes. But, Annabeth, even you can't figure out what the prophecies mean. Don't destroy yourself trying to figure out what it means. For now, focus on Percy."

Annabeth looked around the room. "I don't think I've ever seen Percy's cabin clean when Tyson wasn't here."

Grover smiled and sat next to Annabeth on the bed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said quietly, "We'll see him again. And when we do, we'll make him clean his cabin."

"I like that idea. You and me can stand here and tell him all the spots he missed."

"And laugh at him while he complains."

"It could be just the three of us."

"Like old times."

"Just like old times."

Grover stood up and said, "I can only be here for a few minutes. I have to get back to the rest of the satyrs to searching. You know how to reach my, right?"

Annabeth nodded her head. "Let me know if you find anything."

"Of course."

She looked up at him, and just for a moment, Grover was reminded of the time he first saw her. She had been so small and alive. "Grover. Thank you, for everything."

He bent down and kissed her forehead lightly. "I'm always here for you, Annabeth."

Grover turned and started for the cabin door. "Oh. Malcolm told me to tell you that the Athena cabin misses you."

"I think I'll be staying in this cabin for a while. I'm keeping it alive. And I'm sure they don't want me to be waking them up in the middle of the night, anyways."

"I'll let them know. Goodbye, Annabeth."

"Goodbye, Grover."

He turned back around and left Annabeth on Percy's bunk, her knees pulled up to his chin, staring off in the distance. She had a faint smile on her lips, like she was remembering a happy memory.


End file.
